the sentinel TEXAS ETHICS & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMITTEE Texas Legislative Update August Special Session Alert August 23, 2021 The Texas Legislature is in its second Special Session which started August 7th and will last for 30 days. For more information from our last Sentinel see here - sbtexas.com See other legislative Sentinels and statements here - sbtexas.com/ethics-religious-liberty We need your help! We need people to testify on Tuesday, August 24th on the important bills below. You could choose one, two or all three bills to testify. ACTION: While we absolutely need in-person testimony, if you cannot get to Austin, please electronically submit comments which can be done on up to two bills up until the hearing is adjourned by visiting: comments.house.texas.gov. You can also contact your representative (To find out who represents you, go to wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home) and the House Education Committee members and let them know your stance on these important bills - Rep. Harold V. Dutton, Jr. (Chair): (512) 463-0510 Rep. Dan Huberty: (512) 463-0520 Rep. Ken King: (512) 463-0736 Rep. J.M. Lozano: (512) 463-0463 Rep. Alma Allen: (512) 463-0744 Rep. Steve Allison: (512) 463-0686 Rep. Keith Bell: (512) 463-0458 Rep. Diego Bernal: (512) 463-0532 Rep. Brad Buckley: (512) 463-0684 Rep. Mary E. Gonzalez: (512) 463-0613 Rep. Thresa “Terry” Meza: (512) 463-0641 Rep. James Talarico: (512) 463-0670 Rep. Gary VanDeaver: (512) 463-0692 HEARING LOCATION Committee: Public Education Time & Date: 10:30 AM, Tuesday, August 24, 2021, Capitol Extension Auditorium, E1.004 (see here - capitol.texas.gov/) August 24th Hearing Youth Sports SUPPORT SB 2 by Sen. Perry - Relating to requiring public school students to compete in interscholastic athletic competitions based on biological sex. (see here - capitol.texas.gov) So far Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Tennessee, West Virginia, Montana and South Dakota have enacted some form of bans that prohibit biological males from playing on girl’s, or women’s, sports teams. A majority of the Texas House and Senate supported specific legislation to do the same during the Regular 87th Session, as there should be no reason to not protect women and young girls. With the increase of biological males entering women’s sporting competitions, our daughters are having to live under the threat of being robbed of hard earned opportunities. There has been a proliferation of transgender ideology whether among corporations, media, or especially schools under the guise of equity and diversity, mental health, or SEL the sentinel TEXAS ETHICS & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMITTEE -social emotional learning programs which has resulted in an environment where children are many times encouraged to explore alternative genders and identities. When testifying, we need to also ask that collegiate level sports be included as it is a travesty for a young girl to receive a sports scholarship in high school only to have to compete against biological males in college. Read Al Mohler’s March 4, 2019 edition of The Briefing addressing “Ethical Sports Issues That ‘Destroy’ Male- Female Distinctions” - baptistmessenger.com Prohibiting Critical Race Theory in K-12 SUPPORT HB 28 by Steve Toth - Relating to curriculum, materials and activities in public schools. capitol.texas.gov Prohibiting the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and establishing the appropriate curricula with constitutional concepts into all Texas Public School curricula, K-12. CRT is being taught and promoted in many school districts across Texas and this bill seeks to prohibit this. The SBTC has rejected the promotion of Critical Race Theory under the 2020 Racial Harmony resolution eight: see the resolutions from the SBTC 2020 Annual Meeting here - sbtexas.com Various Curriculum Names – iCivics, 1619 Project - iCivics claims “equitable civics” and push a “political inequality” narrative that multiple forms of social, racial, and economic inequality influence the political and civic inequality. See here – civxnow.org/resources and iCivics CivXNow project Equity In Civic Education White Paper (see here - civxnow.org/sites) Family Violence Act OPPOSE (Or testify ON if amendments are made) SB 9 - by Senator Huffman (originally Senator West bill. Relating to requiring public schools to provide instruction and materials and adopt policies relating to the prevention of child abuse, family violence, and dating violence. Problems: *Lessons and curricula on abuse generally include physical, mental, and sexual. Lessons on abuse could be used to extract information from children for use against parents and legal guardians, such as lack of affirmation for sexual preference and gender dysphoria. One of the popular dating violence curriculums is Love is Respect (see here loveisrespect.org) which promotes LGBT relationships and comprehensive sex-ed. California’s Dept. of Education Health framework for dating and family violence includes “spiritual abuse,” which is defined as “using religion to justify rigid gender stereotypes and roles.” *SB 9 is unnecessary as abuse and family violence are already covered in the Injury and Violence Prevention and Safety strand and abuse and dating violence are covered in the Reproductive and Sexual Health strand of the newly adopted Health TEKS. In 2020, the State Board of Education was thorough in its review and adoption of new TEC Chapter 115 Health TEKS (tea.texas.gov). Abuse and family violence Student Expectations (SEs) are in grades three through high school in the “Interpersonal Violence” topic of the Injury and Violence Prevention and Safety strand. The Reproductive and Sexual Health strand includes abuse and dating violence SEs in the “Personal Safety, Limits, and Boundaries” and “Sexual Risk” topics, as follows: · Grade 6 requires 4 SEs on abuse · Grades 7-8 requires 6 SEs on abuse and 2 SEs on dating violence · High School Health I requires 2 SEs on abuse and 2 SEs on dating violence · High School Health II requires 2 SEs on dating violence and abuse As you can see, SB 9 is unnecessary because these issues are already covered in the Health TEKS. the sentinel TEXAS ETHICS & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMITTEE While there is a provision in SB 9 to allow opt-out for parents, it should be opt-in only. Dating violence, domestic violence, and child abuse are Health Education subjects and should be placed under Texas Education Code 28.004 so there would be more transparency and parental oversight in the choosing of which program is implemented in the school district. School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs) are given authority to “assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the district’s health education instruction.” Adding these topics to TEC 28.002 as SB9 does is confusing and avoids the legal process in TEC 28.004. The adoption of instructions in TEC 28.002 rather than TEC 28.004 is duplicative and confusing especially since the 87th Legislature changed Human Sexuality Instruction to OPT IN. When testifying remind the legislators that our children are falling behind in the core academic subjects such as math and writing. Parents do not need one more thing to monitor in their school districts. We just want our kids to learn reading, writing and math and leave moral instruction to families, churches, and communities. You can also offer a solution to amend the bill: Adding “(8) adoption of policies and appropriate grade levels and curriculum for instruction regarding child abuse, family violence, and dating violence” to the subjects covered by the school districts’ School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs) in TEC 28.004(c) would preserve parental rights, community values and input, and local control for Health Education and Human Sexuality Instruction. the sentinel TEXAS ETHICS & RELIGIOUS LIBERTY COMMITTEE.